Training to be a mum

Good Point LR!

I guess it could be because with your own kids you can do what you like... yes some are worse than others... but then when you are responsible for a basically strangers child there needs to be 'standard' that is set for them to meet?

No doubt everyone has a different idea of what being a good parent is but you wouldnt want you youngster left with someone that will just plop them down in front of the TV all day....

If only we could make people do a course we wouldn't have the issues the country seems to have with families misstreading their young children

I'm a firm believer that 'life skills' should be taught at school - including a parenting course. Just an extension of health class really.

There are so many kids out there that are never taught the basics about money, or cooking, or anything like that. And if they don't know it, how are they supposed to teach it to their own kids?

It's a very good point LR! Also, if only we could castrate some people we wouldn't have the issues either, CC.

You do have to wonder about some people though, maybe they need to take a course. Or be disqualified from looking after their own children.

I remember in the news in February about a pregnant woman from Oamaru who avoided jail for animal neglect. She had nine dogs, some who had been locked in a a back shed with no food or water and floor was covered in faeces and urine.   Few of the puppies had died.

The judge didnt send her to jail because she was pregnant but disqualified her from owning a dog for ten years.

So why is she allowed to to look after her own children if she is legally not allowed to look after a dog. Does that not put our countries children at a lower standard of care than dogs?

Personally my opinion is a very hard line. The news stories about children being abused by their own parents disgusts me. Especially when you hear they are having more children!

I believe that once convicted of crimes against your own kids, you should be booked into hospital the next day for tubes tied or given the snip. I wouldn't mind my taxer payers dollars used for that.

Other than that, for parents that the system had obviously highlighted are struggling with children they need to have court ordered parenting courses. Perhaps run by Parents Inc - they are great ive heard!

well actually most people do do courses when they are expecting a child or have a child, antenatal classes followed by baby classes then a range of classes that teach basic parenting skills and are all optional but alot of people are doing them. then playcentre offer courses to help teach you how to effectively interact with yours and others children.

I do think people doing in home care need to be trained as they are being made responsable for other peoples children, and they are being paid to. if i wanted to pay someone to sit my kids infront of a tv i would just hire a babysitter whom i dont expect to have training in anything other than 1st aid.

rorylex wrote: well actually most people do do courses when they are expecting a child or have a child, antenatal classes followed by baby classes then a range of classes that teach basic parenting skills and are all optional but alot of people are doing them. then playcentre offer courses to help teach you how to effectively interact with yours and others children. I do think people doing in home care need to be trained as they are being made responsable for other peoples children, and they are being paid to. if i wanted to pay someone to sit my kids infront of a tv i would just hire a babysitter whom i dont expect to have training in anything other than 1st aid.

Agree + lucky for me - being 20 - being a mum came natural to me! but not for everyone I know!

I think it's a bit different looking after someone else's kids tbh and as someone else mentioned we all parent in different ways etc. I guess it just sets a 'standard' sorta thing if that makes sense...

I find it interesting that you need a licence to drive a car but not to breed!

I agree that it should be taught in school as 'life skills' as a compulsory subject.

Lil_Nic9 wrote: Agree + lucky for me - being 20 - being a mum came natural to me! but not for everyone I know!

I think a lot of people feel like this but how do you define "natural"? I'm sure if everyone was given training on childcare and child psychology it would make people think differently about the best techniques for raising a child. I definitely think First Aid should be compulsory at least.

Interesting topic.

When I did child care I trained at teachers college but that was more for teaching that parenting. As a parent I would not leave my child with the "lady down the rd" cause I need a sitter but would look for some where they would be safe & happy & have a standard or care & education I was happy with. I don't need them to be a parent to my child.

I agree with first aid & think every parent/person should have a good understanding. That it should be taught at school/work place & if on a benefit they should run free causes & not just for child first aid /CPR but for all.

I don't think it is up to the school system to teach a child about being a parent or consequences of having unprotected sex it is up to the parents. I will do all I can to teach my boys how to be safe & not have kids young..that they can learn from their dad & not make the mistakes he made.

There are a range of parenting courses you can do & not that expensive & some are free. Millions of books, ways, organisations that can help with BF, sleep, care & what ever you need. So there is help available & a lot of information is given.

I guess as a parent you have your own way of doing things & what you want for your child. All children are different, my 3 have different natures so need different boundaries, discipline & reasoning so can not put them all into to the same "box". I think it is important to raise your children as individuals, nurture & encourage their personalities & let them grow into who they are to be, which is all different.

The parents/people who hurt, murder & comment hanis crimes against children are scum, no parenting course will help them or the child.

james wrote: agree jazzy, and the fact that alot of child abuse crimes seem to be the boyfriend of the mother of the child and any course the mother does propery wouldnt stop her from making a dumb chosse to be with the scum

yip & you know what I can not get my head around is how these women can put these men before their child...how can you not protect a child...that is your job as a mum, if you stuff up on everything else that is the one thing you should get right.

Child abuse is a separate argument, because, I am sure we would all agree, those people shouldn't be allowed children in the first place.

I agree that it should be the parents responsibility to teach their children the basics of life - the problem is many aren't! And if they're not taught the basics, how are they supposed to teach their children? Thus the cycle continues. The whole point of school is to prepare kids for the real world, adding a course to either teach them what their parents didn't or reiterate what they did, is just an extension of that.

kandk, I have to disagree with you. Your best chance at reaching people is when they are young. Plus even though they act like sullen teenagers, they're still kids and they still want to learn. Most kids will also pick things up even if they are pretending not to pay attention.